The Loop / February 14, 2023
Catch Up with the Current Series:
Weekly Announcements:
BELIEVE // ASH WEDNESDAY EVENTS AND COMBINED SERVICE
On Ash Wednesday, February 22, churches from around Annapolis are partnering together to offer opportunities for all interested Annapolitans to receive the imposition of ashes as a symbol of our common mortality and in anticipation of the great hope we will celebrate on Easter Sunday. Drive-through sites will be open throughout the day and hosted by clergy from churches around the city (details coming soon!). In addition, several churches are holding services during the day and in the evening to celebrate the beginning of the Lenten season. Kenny, our pastor here at Revolution, will be participating with other local ministers at a special combined service that evening at Calvary United Methodist Church… and you are invited to attend!
BECOME // PARTNERING WITH REVIVE
Let’s partner with our friends Caleb and Melissa Kaye (and their ministry at Revive) as they seek to meet the practical needs of our neighbors while also fostering deep conversations about life and faith. Here’s their calendar for the spring:
FOOD PANTRY @ WAYSON WOODS (319 7 Oaks Ln, Lothian, MD): Mar 11th @ 12pm-2pm / Apr 8 @ 12pm-2pm
FOOD PANTRY @ MARYLAND MANOR (1500 Berkley Ct, Harwood, MD): Feb 25th @ 12pm-2pm / Mar 25th @ 12pm-2pm / Apr 22 @ 12pm-2pm
PUB THEOLOGY ONLINE (over Zoom): Feb 15 @8pm / Mar 1 @8pm
PUB THEOLOGY IN-PERSON (@49 West): Feb 22nd @ 8pm / Mar 22nd @ 8pm
Working with Revive is exactly how we envision service at Revolution: organic partnerships with active and passionate non-profit organizations already at work in our community. We hope to see you at a few (or even all) of these events!
BECOME // CURRENT VOLUNTEER NEEDS
We’re still looking for more folks to help out with RevKids. It seems like most Sundays our children’s ministry is packed… which is amazing news for our church! But Shawn (shawn@revolutionannapolis.com), Ivy, and our other leaders could use a few more hands. If you’d like to step in, you can reach out to Shawn directly, or you can email us at info@revolutionannapolis.com
We’re also looking for a few more folks to help with our Welcome + Info team! Clare Bubniak leads that crew (clare@revolutionannapolis.com), and it’s a wonderful way to meet people and hear just a bit of their stories. It is so important to us at Revolution that everyone who walks through the door on a Sunday feels welcomed and known: this is not only a way to be kind, it’s also a way to model the kind of church community we want to be. If you would be willing to step in, let Clare know (or email us at the “info” account!).
BELIEVE // A NOTE ABOUT OUR CURRENT TEACHING SERIES
Our topic right now is “sin.” We want to acknowledge that few topics can feel more frightening than this one, and there are many folks who have had traumatic experiences in their church history with issues of sin being treated callously and even cruelly by those in authority. We want to respect those experiences, and if you would like to hear more about our plans for this topic, or share your experience, you can reach out to Kenny any time at kenny@revolutionannapolis.com or 803.727.8500. We also want to reassure you that our intention is, as always, to speak clearly about the Bible with grace and humility in our hearts. The problem of sin is central to Christian story, and the point of it all is that there is hope! The Preaching Team is looking forward to the coming weekend, and we are glad that each and every one of you is here.
BELONG // SPRING GROUPS ARE COMING!
We will be launching our next round of groups at the end of February. We are really excited to share some changes in our group system with you, as well as to open up new opportunities for you to get connected, build friendships, and grow in your faith alongside others. Stay tuned for more news about what’s to come, and get ready to meet some of our group leaders over the next few Sundays at Revolution!
BECOME // FOOD PANTRY OPPORTUNITIES
A lot of you know about our ongoing partnership with Heritage Baptist Church on their weekly food pantry: that pantry operates each and every Tuesday from 9:30-11:30, with prep work happening on Monday evenings. They could still use our help! So, if you are interested in serving during either time slot, please let us know at info@revolutionannapolis.com and we can get you connected ASAP. But there’s another opportunity to help our neighbors who are experiencing food insecurity, too! We are eager to build a new partnership with our friends at Eastport United Methodist Church, who operate an enormous food pantry/clothing drive/market event every 3rd Saturday morning! Go check things out–and sign up to help–this month on February 18. You can learn more by reaching out to their lead pastor, Chris Broadwell, at chris@eastportumc.org. He would love to hear from you!
BECOME // YOUTH GROUP
Revolution’s Youth Group meets on Sunday mornings! If you have a middle- or high school-aged teen (or if you are one yourself!), you’re invited to meet up with our youth leaders, Maggie Young and Robbert Olson in the lobby before service. Youth typically head across the street to Starbucks for a breakfast treat on us, to go along with a lesson and conversation. The goal is for teens at Revolution to make new friends, build honest relationships, and learn more about how to build a deep faith of their own. You can learn more with Maggie and Robbert on Sunday, or by emailing our Children’s Pastor, Shawn Livingston, anytime at shawn@revolutionannapolis.com.
BELIEVE // COFFEE, ANYONE?
Do you have questions? Doubts? Would you just like to talk through things with someone? Kenny is also always up for that, too! Just send him an email (kenny@revolutionannapolis.com) or text (803.727.8500).
BECOME // SUPPORTING REVOLUTION CHURCH
At Revolution, we believe that our church needs to be a witness to God’s bottomless love and an example of what it means to wrestle and grow with our faith together. Following Jesus isn’t easy! But even in our doubts, if we take the things we are struggling to believe and put them into practice together, we learn to ask better questions and live in ways that are more beneficial for others.
If you want to join us in this mission, you can be a part in a few different ways:
First, you can commit to presence: it is our sincere hope as a church that you find real purpose and meaning in being a part of our services and groups at Revolution. They exist for you! But have you ever thought about what you have to offer those gatherings in return? Your unique perspective, hopes, experiences, and struggles are part of the bigger story of our church. You have an important part to play here, and that part begins by making faithful presence a priority!
Second, you can commit to generosity: we want to imitate God’s generosity by looking for ways we can share what we have been given with others to bring hope, justice, and safety to our neighbors. One way you can practice that generosity is by supporting our ministry here at Revolution financially: we are a non-profit organization committed to maintaining a Christian ministry in Annapolis, forgiving the debts of our neighbors, and financially supporting both church plants and existing churches in our area. Your gifts help keep this commitment going! But we also want to make sure you know that giving is important no matter where you do it: find a non-profit, charity, or aid organization whose cause you support and make a plan to be faithful and generous towards them! God can do more with our resources than we can… and giving is one of the practical ways we put our trust in what He can do.
Third, you can commit to service: here at Revolution, we are in need of all sorts of volunteers to keep our ministry going. This is particularly true as we continue to “emerge” from the pandemic! If you are available to help out on any of our Sunday morning teams, or with any of our groups or other outreach ministries during the week, we need you! This is a great way to contribute to the church… and to make new friends. But the city of Annapolis needs help, too! If you are able, make time in your week to participate in a routine act of service for our community. There are multiple food pantries we support, all of whom need help, as well as opportunities to work with kids in need of tutoring, care for unhoused residents in our city who need assistance, and serve as an advocate for a variety of justice-seeking non-profits working to make Annapolis a more equitable place to live. For help a place to serve, just talk with Kenny (kenny@revolutionannapolis.com) or our Community Engagement Lay Leader, Liz Wheeler (liziwheeler@gmail.com).
BELONG // STAY IN THE LOOP ALL WEEK LONG!
Want to make sure you never miss an announcement? Make sure to follow Revolution on Facebook and Instagram (@revolutionannapolis)!
